Face of the Enemy
' |image= |series= |production= 40276-240 |producer(s)= |story=René Echevarria |script=Naren Shankar |director=Gabrielle Beaumont |imdbref=tt0708712 |guests=Scott MacDonald as N'Vek, Carolyn Seymour as Toreth, Barry Lynch as Stefan DeSeve, Robertson Dean as Romulan Pilot, Dennis Cockrum as Corvallen Freighter Captain, Pamela Winslow as McKnight |previous_production=Aquiel |next_production=Tapestry |episode=TNG S0614 |airdate=8 February 1993 |previous_release=Aquiel |next_release=Tapestry |story_date(s)=46519.1 |previous_story=Aquiel |next_story=Tapestry }} =Summary= Deanna Troi is unknowingly brought aboard the Romulan Warbird Khazara and has cosmetic surgery to make her look like a Romulan. Subcommander N'Vek privately explains that he has no intention of harming her, but needs her help to pose as Major Rakal of the Tal Shiar, the Romulan intelligence service and secret police. N'Vek is currently engaged in a plan to deliver secret cargo to the Federation, and needs Troi to act her role to convince the Khazara commander, Toreth, who is not aware of N'Vek's plan, into complying with his directives. Troi, as Rakal, is able to sway Toreth to head for a planned rendezvous in the Kaleb sector under threat of intense interrogation techniques. Aboard the Enterprise, the crew brings aboard Stefan DeSeve, a human who had served as an ensign in Starfleet before defecting to the Romulans. Now he has returned with a message from Ambassador Spock. Captain Picard, wary of DeSeve's motives and ready to arrest him for treason, considers Spock's message regarding a meeting in the Kaleb sector that would be prudent for the Federation's interest, and directs the ship there. As the Khazara is en route, N'Vek shows Troi the secret cargo - Vice Proconsul M'ret and two of his aides, held in stasis. M'ret has desired to defect to the Federation, and his presence there would aid further Romulan dissidents to flee the Empire. The plan is to transport the stasis chambers to a Corvallen cargo ship at the rendezvous point, who will subsequently deliver them into Federation space. When the Khazara meets up with the cargo ship, Troi senses its captain is not trustworthy, and N'Vek fires upon it, destroying it. He claims he was ordered by Major Rakal. Toreth is furious. She later explains to Toreth that she recognized the captain of the cargo ship as a known Federation spy. The Enterprise arrives at the Kaleb sector at the designated time and coordinates but find no trace of the cargo ship. They start a search of the section, soon finding the wreckage of the vessel. As the Enterprise moves in, Toreth takes this as a sign of N'Vek's truthfulness. N'Vek, in private, explains to Troi that their only other option is to travel to Draken Four, an entry point for the Federation, where Troi can use her Starfleet codes to allow the ship to enter undetected. Troi gives this order to Toreth, but the captain points out that with the wreckage nearby, they will be detected, and has the ship travel some distance away while the Enterprise continues to search. Troi is worried that the Enterprise will not be able to follow them, and has N'Vek create a small imbalance in the engine. The Enterprise crew detect the imbalance and follow the trail of the cloaked ship. Toreth learns of the Enterprise trailing them, and asserts that there is a traitor on board, and directs the ship to ram the vessel. Troi steps in as Rakal and takes command from Toreth, then orders the ship to decloak and hails the Enterprise, offering to discuss the matter. The Enterprise crew, though they recognize Troi, feign ignorance and take down their shields. N'Vek fires on the Enterprise with low-powered weapons, appearing to damage the vessel but in reality, a means to mask the transport of the stasis chambers to the Enterprise. Toreth realizes that she is being deceived, and has N'Vek killed, and is about to kill Troi when she is safely transported to the Enterprise. The Khazara cloaks and returns to Romulan space, while Troi's cosmetic surgery is reversed, and she contemplates the value of N'Vek's efforts to aid the Federation. =Errors and Explanations= Plot Oversights # Visual records of Rakal matching the disguised Troi. Possibly a combination of Troi's natural resemblance and alteration of the records. # Ensign DeSeve deciding to defect to the Romulans twenty years after they withdrew behind their borders. Perhaps he wanted to find out what had kept them away from the galaxy at large. # Troi, as Rakal, knowing her way around the warbird. Either N'Vek briefed her on the layout off screen, or Troi figured out the logical routes between various areas of the warbird. Changed Premises # The Romulans apparently not having gravitic sensors, similar to those used by the Federation. They could have been off line for some reason. Nit Central # Aaron Dotter on Tuesday, September 19, 2000 - 4:58 pm: When the Romulan ship cloaked the lights did not dim like on other ships, such as the Defiant (which used a Romulan cloak) and Klingon ships. Cloaks use lots of power, so I doubt that it is the type of cloak. The Defiant is using a device it wasn't strictly designed to use, and the Klingons probably dim the lights when the ship cloaks to enhance their senses. # They'll clear the debris field in 27 minutes? That big a field for such a tiny freighter? They must be moving very very slow. Moving too quickly through the debris of a destroyed ship could result in permanent damage. # Did Troi set up that disruptor/transporter beam? If not her who did? Logically, this would've been done by N'Vek. # I don't see how this little operation "paved the way" for future rescue operations. I doubt that they could get away with that again. It would have shown it was possible to escape from the Romulan Empire. # John A. Lang on Thursday, December 05, 2002 - 8:27 pm: Why didn't the underground movement just simply ASK Troi to volunteer and do this mission? The underground Romulan COULD HAVE brought along some authorized message from Spock and shown it to her. Or better yet, ask Spock to ask Troi to volunteer. But noooo, they commit some very serious crimes against her.… If I were Troi, I would not be happy! If they had asked Troi to volunteer, she would have been obliged to report the request to Starfleet, which would increase the risk of the Romulan government discovering the plan, and putting a stop to it before it could be carried out. # kinzel.10 on Saturday, March 13, 2004 - 10:29 pm: What's the deal with Troi's behavior-demanding that N'Vek transport Muret and his aids to the Enterprise rather than go to Draken IV? Was she so sick of the Romulan ship that she'd do anything to get off it as fast as she could and didn't care what effect it would have on the mission? Her actions there got N'Vek killed and almost ruined everything. There was no indication that her cover had been blown or anything, so what she did was totally dangerous, dumb, and disgusting. Any thoughts? LUIGI NOVI on Sunday, March 14, 2004 - 6:05 am: If she chose to be on this mission that would be an arguable POV, kinzel, but she was kidnapped, surgically altered against her will, and placed into mortal danger by being drafted into this mission, so she had every right not to be so compliant. # Francois Lacombe (Franc0is) on Wednesday, May 16, 2012 - 6:13 pm:''When Troi wakes up at the beginning of the episode, she should have known immediately she was in deep trouble. Her empathic senses should have let her know that she was surrounded by Romulans. '''She was still groggy at that point.' =Sources= Category:Episodes Category:The Next Generation